I received news that my coach's brother was killed. He lived in Calgary, Canada, and was eating at a local Vietnamese restaurant when some gang members entered and killed two people inside. He tried to leave but was caught in the parking lot by other associates and gunned down.
My coach is an exceptional man. He is a joy to be around, always with a kind word and encouragement. I cannot think of a person who does not like him, despite that he ran over quite a few first division men before injury ended his career. His most striking characteristic is that he is humble. He does not accept credit for our team's success; he even insisted that other than the "coach" picture, he did not want to be included in the team photos on our website. He works tirelessly for us, and for others, and he never accepts praise for his work. Despite the immense grief that he is feeling, he has continued to hold training because we have our first game after the sabbatical this Saturday. He never lets us down.
I imagine that his brother was an exceptional man as well. My coach told me that he was worried for his mother because the brother was very close to her. I am distressed that there is no reason for this tragedy, it is all so stupid and meaningless. Never has the term "innocent bystander" made so much impact. I feel sad thinking that this man went from Samoa to a foreign country only to die there. Now his Canadian wife will have to bring his body home to his family and my heart breaks for her, and for his family.
I know that it is a bit ridiculous but I feel embarrassment that the killers were probably members of a Vietnamese gang. Ten years ago if you had told me that there were Vietnamese gangs I would been in disbelief. How could such stupidity arise from my culture? The answer is that it does not, that violence is not cultural. These people who gunned down an innocent man (or any men for that matter) have no culture. I can only believe that they must have very empty lives to have to fill them with so much hatred. They must be miserable, pitiful people with no comprehension of the beauty and value of life to be able to take another life so easily.
I have asked my coach to let me know if there is anything that I can do. Of course I knew that he would not ask for anything. I can only offer him my sympathy and willingness to listen as he recounts what happened over and over in disbelief. Right now, not knowing what else to do, I am making food. It is something that we do in the States. It is an act of providing for a family in grief but it is also a way for those of us who cannot do anything else express that we are thinking of them.
My coach is an exceptional man. He is a joy to be around, always with a kind word and encouragement. I cannot think of a person who does not like him, despite that he ran over quite a few first division men before injury ended his career. His most striking characteristic is that he is humble. He does not accept credit for our team's success; he even insisted that other than the "coach" picture, he did not want to be included in the team photos on our website. He works tirelessly for us, and for others, and he never accepts praise for his work. Despite the immense grief that he is feeling, he has continued to hold training because we have our first game after the sabbatical this Saturday. He never lets us down.
I imagine that his brother was an exceptional man as well. My coach told me that he was worried for his mother because the brother was very close to her. I am distressed that there is no reason for this tragedy, it is all so stupid and meaningless. Never has the term "innocent bystander" made so much impact. I feel sad thinking that this man went from Samoa to a foreign country only to die there. Now his Canadian wife will have to bring his body home to his family and my heart breaks for her, and for his family.
I know that it is a bit ridiculous but I feel embarrassment that the killers were probably members of a Vietnamese gang. Ten years ago if you had told me that there were Vietnamese gangs I would been in disbelief. How could such stupidity arise from my culture? The answer is that it does not, that violence is not cultural. These people who gunned down an innocent man (or any men for that matter) have no culture. I can only believe that they must have very empty lives to have to fill them with so much hatred. They must be miserable, pitiful people with no comprehension of the beauty and value of life to be able to take another life so easily.
I have asked my coach to let me know if there is anything that I can do. Of course I knew that he would not ask for anything. I can only offer him my sympathy and willingness to listen as he recounts what happened over and over in disbelief. Right now, not knowing what else to do, I am making food. It is something that we do in the States. It is an act of providing for a family in grief but it is also a way for those of us who cannot do anything else express that we are thinking of them.
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